A very vulgar pro-faith comedy rather than a sacrilegious goof, Dogma is an extraordinarily uneven film that significant cutting might be able to transform into a playable one.
Dogma (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:14
Rotten:14
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Provocative and audacious, Dogma entertains without overtly offending.
Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Imaginative theology and a bigger than usual budget make Kevin Smith's fourth film a kind of post-Catholic fantasy that only a comic-book enthusiast of his caliber could dream up. The plot is set... Imaginative theology and a bigger than usual budget make Kevin Smith's fourth film a kind of post-Catholic fantasy that only a comic-book enthusiast of his caliber could dream up. The plot is set in motion by two banished angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck). After a few millenia in Wisconsin, they've discovered a loophole in Catholic doctrine that would allow them back into heaven--but prove the fallibility of God and destroy the universe. Unaware of the peril, they make their way to New Jersey to receive a plenary indulgence. Meanwhile, God has dispatched a seraphim (Alan Rickman) to recruit lapsed-Catholic Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) to stop the angels. She finds help in muses, prophets (Jay and Silent Bob), and the forgotten 13th apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock). Before long, all hell breaks loose (literally), and God (Alanis Morrisette) has to put in an appearance of her own. The success of the film is in the juxtaposition of Smith's trademark acerbic attitude and witty dialogue against the enormous canvas of Christian iconography and apocalyptic conflict. [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Jason Lee, Bud Cort, Alanis Morissette, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Janeane Garofalo, Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Guinevere Turner
Director: Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Screenwriter: Kevin Smith
Producer: Scott Mosier
Composer: Howard Shore
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Reviews for Dogma
I couldn't care less whether Smith's metaphysical conceits about the war between Good and Evil are those of a devout believer or an atheist. The bottom line is that they're puerile.
A fresh premise gradually turns stale, and jokes that start out lively end up pooped.
Like the worst seasons of Saturday Night Live, most of the film's setups go nowhere or just fall flat.
The thrill of the movie -- and the reason you don't have to be religious to be caught up in it -- is the thrill of watching a director wrestle with his obsessions.
The movie simply demonstrates the limitations of Smith's vision and humorous abilities, rather than any satirical prowess.
As always with Kevin Smith's films, the strongest element is the writing, and he's reached a new level here.
Smith has crammed the film with enough genuinely funny moments and insightful bits to make it well worth seeing.
Once the ball is put in play, the viewer must endure a flat second half, indulging torturously static explanations delivered by characters so garrulous they make those of Eric Rohmer seem as tight-lipped as Silent Bob.
The problems with Dogma are that it's uneven, overlong, and occasionally uninteresting.
When Smith's not practicing the humor of outrage, he's preaching to a choir highly likely to be perplexed.
The real problem with Dogma is not its anti-Papism, but its aggressive and offensive piety.
Dogma is a raucous, profane but surprisingly endearing piece of work, a funny and lively film of ideas.
The result is a mish-mash of tones in which such absurdities as singer Alanis Morissette's appearance as God undercut any emotional responses you might have to the climaxes involving Bartleby and Bethany.
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